''Britain's Brainiest'' is a British television

quiz show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, ...

produced by

Celador CPL Productions (formerly Celador) is a British entertainment company originally formed in the United Kingdom in 1981 as an independent television production company. It created and produced a number of popular light entertainment shows and is ...

and aired on ITV. The show originally aired as a one-off special ad ''Britain's Brainiest Kid'' on 9 August 2001, hosted by

Carol Vorderman Carol Jean Vorderman, HonFIET (born 24 December 1960) is a Welsh media personality, best known for appearing on the game show '' Countdown'' for 26 years from 1982 until 2008, as a newspaper columnist and nominal author of educational and diet ...

. An adult series ran from 2 January to 6 February 2002 and a subsequent kids series aired from 9 to 31 December 2002.

Format

2001 special

The original featured four different rounds: * A set of 12 multiple choice questions, whittling down the number of male contestants from 12 to 3. * A set of 12 multiple choice questions, whittling down the number of female contestants from 12 to 3. * A subject-based round, where contestants answered questions on two subjects, this halved the number of competitors to 3. * A final round, where the remaining 3 contestants were tested on their own specialist subject and that of their fellow finalists The winner of the original special was Laura Hibbert of

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by national parks, including most of the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. It is one of four cou ...

, whose specialist subject was

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

. Alex "Brains" Marshall was runner up. Marshall's specialist subject was the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at ...

. Richard "Helium" Thomas came third. His specialist subject was the

Plantagenets The House of Plantagenet () was a royal house which originated from the lands of Anjou in France. The family held the English throne from 1154 (with the accession of Henry II at the end of the Anarchy) to 1485, when Richard III died in ba ...

2002 adult series

''Information needed''

2002 kids series

The show was resurrected, with ten half-hour heats and qualification to a 90-minute grand final show. The heats were presented by

Tess Daly Helen Elizabeth "Tess" Daly (born 29 March 1969) is an English model and television presenter who co-presented the BBC One celebrity dancing show ''Strictly Come Dancing'' from 2004 to 2013; she has been the show's main presenter since 2014. ...

, and the grand final by Carol Vorderman again. There was also a format change in 2002, with tie breakers being replaced by "Codexs" after the mammoth tie-break in the 2001 special. The winner of the 2002 series was Christopher Guerin, from Birmingham (specialist subject:

Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then ...

). He went on to receive three mathematics degrees including one at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, and as of 2023 is a maths teacher and assistant secondary school principal.

International versions

Legend: Currently airing No longer airing Upcoming or returning version

References and notes

External links

* * *{{UKGameshow, Britain%27s_Brainiest ITV game shows Quiz shows 2000s British game shows 2001 British television series debuts 2002 British television series endings British children's game shows Television series about children Television shows shot at Elstree Film Studios